IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ : Before you read this update, I suggest (especially for those who haven't read the revised and edited version of chapter 33) you read the previous chapter. it will really get you into the mood of this one. But you don't have to. It's just a suggestion. Oh, and thanks for reading this, if you did :)

MOVING ON...I do not own Naruto, only the plot! And if there are any grammatical errors, please forgive me. I didn't double check because I wanted to update as soon as possible, enjoy! – VZ

Sakura wanted to say that she was forced to kiss him. Unfortunately, she couldn't lie to herself, no matter how much as she wanted to. Each affectionate word, and each intense emotion that raced through her body after hearing them, was taking her a step closer to the edge. An edge that she knew had no escape. A step closer to the black abyss that was dark, forbidden and endless, just like his eyes. Deep down, she knew that He had merely encouraged her, gently pulling her down by the neck to meet his lips with her own.

And that's why she felt extremely guilty. Here, she was, locking lips with the man who had most likely killed her friend just because he touched her.

Suddenly, the reminder of Sasori, beaten and broken for her sake, gave her the power to open her eyes. And then she brought up her hands, which were hanging limp at her sides, to push him away.

When he didn't budge, she commanded a sliver of chakra to her hands and pressed against him harder.

They parted, an expression of yearning on his face and a pained look on hers.

The pinkette ignored the soft and sensual lips that felt so unbelievably good against hers. She completely disregarded the pained look in those dark and vulnerable eyes. She didn't even take notice of the footsteps steadily fading away. Her senses were dulled with the guilt she felt and the anger that was running through her veins was the only thing encouraging her to stop this kiss. Paying no attention to the door which was still wide open with several Akatsuki members still frozen with shock, she stepped away from the Uchiha, a hard expression on her usually sweet face. Instead of the kindness and compassion she so desperately wanted to give, she couldn't. Not when he hurt someone. Yes, he did it for her. However that didn't make it right.

With her back to the wooden door, Sakura narrowed her green eyes on the man who was down on his knees.

It was a rather miserable sight.

A proud, handsome and strong man, exposing himself like this.

Yet she couldn't let her heart go out to him.

As much as she wanted to fall on her knees as well and engulf him in a tight, chakra-laden hug, she just couldn't.

Guilt and rage was weighing her down.

The medic-nin shook her head before speaking; her voice was coated with thinly veiled fury and the more she spoke, the louder her voice got.

"Don't you dare do that again Itachi Uchiha. I swear that if you do, I'll knee you so hard and with so much chakra, you can say goodbye to the future of little baby Uchiha's!"

"I was only showing my affection for you, love."

He replied calmly, his eyes red once more.

Her eyes spat emerald fire at him, relentlessly hurling hurtful words until she felt all her rage abate.

"No, no, NO! I am not your love." She shook her head stubbornly as he slowly stood up. His gaze glued to the woman who was ranting and was unaware of their audience.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I am not!"

His hand reached out to caress her cheek but before he could even graze her skin, she stumbled back.

"No….I don't want you to touch me…" She stuttered pathetically, shaking her head. Making her pink locks fly everywhere.

"Sakura…" Itachi's voice was hoarse now.

"No….just….just don't." She bit her lips nervously, not liking the pain in her chest at the sight of his pleading face and outstretched hand.

"Sakura…you said that you did not see a murderer. Then why do you flee from my touch?"

Her heart felt like it was literally being ripped into two. One part of her intensely wanted to return Itachi's kiss. That part urged her to jump into his arms and accept his affections. To welcome all the fervent and impassioned words he had so reverently declared to her just moments before. It was almost physically painful to push him away when she wanted nothing more than to hold him close. Ye the other part of her felt so, so very guilty. It just didn't feel right to run into a man's arms when someone was hurt on her behalf. And the fact that the man she was about to run to, had committed the crime himself, made it all the more worse.

"I have no choice."

"Yes you do, my blossom. You always have. And you always chose me. Don't deny it. I know that what I feel for you is not one-sided. That's why I have become so attached to you. Because you have looked past my mistakes and darkness."

She took a step back.

"Stop it…." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"The moment you healed me…I felt like all my sins have been forgiven."

"Please…just don't."

Sakura inwardly begged that he would stop saying such beautiful, impassioned things. It made saying 'no' so much harder than it had to be.

Itachi didn't care if his fellow Akatsuki members were watching. He didn't give a fuck if Hidan was gaping or Kisame was grinding his teeth hard. He hardly took notice of that foolish boy when he ran out of the room, tears in his usually mischievous bright blue eye. But he did find some satisfaction at the sight of Sasori. Who was literally in pieces, being carried by all of the Akatsuki members. It was unfortunate that he couldn't kill him though. But nonetheless, he was happy that the boy was alive. Or at least, parts of him were. This way, he could see that the blossom really was his. The Uchiha just needed her to see it his way.

When she took yet another step away from him, he felt his heart wrench at the sight of her sad face.

Itachi wanted, needed to convince her to stay.

And so, he decided to carry on with his declarations of his true feelings concerning the blossom.

The ones that he had kept hidden within his soul for no one else to see but her.

At this moment, he didn't have an audience.

At this very second, all he saw was his blossom, his savior.

"The moment you yelled at me….in that tiny hut…in the cold rain…..I felt like I was human."

Sakura choked and her hands clenched almost painfully.

"Not some killer...murderer...monster."

Her green eyes looked so lovely to him, even when they were filled with rage and sadness.

"And you were an angel who healed me…..who saved me from my suffering."

This time, She found her voice and replied. Although she was dismayed to hear herself sound so shaky.

"I had to…you were dying."

"No, you did it because you felt something for me." Itachi pressed, his black eyes looking at her with so much emotion it hurt.

"You took a damn kunai for me! Which had dozens of exploding tags attached to it! What the hell was I supposed to do?!"

Her voice raised in volume due to the frustration, confusion and anger she felt for the man before her.

"Let me die." Was his simple and calm answer.

It was silent after that, until he continued with a strong and slightly calmer voice.

"I was ready for it. To meet death and go into hell where I would see the rest of my clan."

Sakura was tempted to reassure him that he would not fall into the fires of hell but her pride and wrath prevented her from doing so.

"Yet….the pain faded away, and the icy grip that death had on me disappeared . Soon, I was fully recovered. Even my eyes that were slowly deteriorating were cured."

Her green eyes widened at that. She had no idea that she had even healed his eyes. All that she remembered from that night was yelling, the rain and pushing wave after wave of healing chakra into his system.

But then again, she didn't really concentrate her healing energy in one specific region or place in his body. Her tiny hands just healed whatever they could.

"All thanks to you, love."

"I am not-"

"You are."

"Shut up Itachi!"

"Not when you have to listen."

"I don't!"

"You do."

How the hell can the guy stay so calm?

"I am my own person, you cannot and will not dictate what I can and can't do."

Itachi tried once more to caress her cheek, or perhaps touch her hair. However she stepped away from him once more. Making his heart squeeze painfully.

"Please, do not run away from me. Not when you belong at my side."

Green eyes blazed with sadness and fury.

"How can you expect me to be near you, let alone be at your side when you just hurt my friend."

At this, Itachi's eyes hardened.

"That puppet wants so much more than just friendship from you."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed.

"What? That can't be…"

Although she tried to counter his statement, she felt whatever he said was true. Sasori treated her differently than before, that much was obvious. But now that she thought about tonight's events, which were quite a lot, she noticed the way he acted so kindly towards her. And he did kiss her….even though it was just on the forehead…..

"It can't…"

"It is. You have bewitched the majority of Akatsuki without even realizing it."

Her head shook in denial as she clutched the fabric of her kimono.

"No…"

"Oh yes, you have."

"But how?..I didn't mean to-"

The dark haired man before her covered the distance between them with a few strides, determination evident in his red gaze.

"Do not think of them Sakura, only me. Just us. No one else."

This time, he was able to caress the skin of her cheek.

And her bleeding heart skipped a beat at the sight of a desperate Itachi. True he wasn't on his knees anymore and he was much more calmer than before, but still. There was the same air of anguish and wretchedness that surrounded him.

The thought itself made her eyes almost water with tears.

However she would not shed them.

Not for him.

As much as she wanted to, she couldn't.

Not until the guilty weight on her chest lifted.

It would hurt, both of them. Yet she had to find Sasori, it was the right thing to do.

"Let go Itachi."

"Sakura…."

Oh Kami!

His voice sounded so damn intimate when he murmured her name.

Something hot and wet fell from her eyes.

"Is this for me?…."

His thumb traced the wetness that trailed from her pink lashes to her chin.

Sakura nodded before biting her lip, unable to stop that one tear from shedding.

"Just leave me alone Itachi."

Before he could even open his mouth and protest, she added, with a tired and weary voice.

"Stay away from me until you apologize to Sasori."

The silence that followed was so tense and heavy that it hovered over them like a thundercloud.

And then he spoke.

"How are you so sure he's alive?"

"A little birdie told me that you couldn't kill a fellow Akatsuki member. Unless you would rather face the wrath of you leader's anger…would you?"

"…...I can make you stay…I am still your captor."

"….Then I'll never forgive you."

"Sakura…"

He sounded pained now, more so than ever before.

"Good bye Itachi."

And with that, she turned, only to see the door crowded with three other Akatsuki members, surprised expressions on their faces.

"Where could you possibly be doing right now Sakura-chan?" Tsunade wondered out loud, pouring herself yet another cup of sake.

The Hokage's office was quiet except for a few annoying passerby's that we're happily chatting.

"You better deliver that damn scroll or I'll make you do so many push-ups that it'll make Gai cry tears of joy." She muttered darkly, moving her hand holding the sake cup in a circle, swirling the liquid inside.

However, Her moment of peace and solitude was broken by two jounins who came into the room, sweat dribbling down their temples.

Too bad she was too drunk to even remember their names.

"Get the hell outta my office." The blonde slurred.

The two men glanced at each other nervously before facing the leader of their village with matching looks of apprehension on their faces.

"Hokage-sama….." One started but seemed too nervous to continue.

"That's me you idiot, now what were you saying?"

"Uh…."

Just as Tsunade was about to throw her jug of alcohol at the stuttering shinobi, the other one stepped in and spoke.

"We're sorry to interrupt you Hokage-sama, but.."

"Spit it out!"

"It seems Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba and Neji have disappeared."

Silence.

"Did you just say disappeared?"

"Y-yes Hokage-sama."

Sileeeeeeeence.

Then suddenly, a loud crack reverberated around the halls.

Both jounins trembled before the sight of Tsunade, whose hand was hovering over the spot where her desk had just split into two.

"W-will we consider them missing-nin Hokage-sama?" He asked, taking a fearful step back.

She huffed and muttered something about incompetent fools being easily scared by a woman when she raised her blonde head and spoke to them.

"No."

"No?"

"What? Have you gone deaf?"

Both men shook their heads vigorously.

"But Hokage-sama. If they have deflected from the village. It's protocol to assume-"

'CRACK'

She pulled her fist from the concrete wall and narrowed her amber eyes at them.

"I'm in charge here and there will be no shinobi from my village being labeled missing-nin."

The men nodded once more.

"Besides…."

An evil smirk appeared on her lips, thoroughly scaring the two males in the vicinity.

"I have a very good idea on why they left so suddenly."

Tsunade retrieved her sake cup from the ground where it had fallen and drank whatever drops of alcohol it had left inside.

"They just better make it back alive."

The pinkette promptly dropped her jaw at the sight of Sasori's upper torso and head were in Kisame's arms. And Hidan was carrying parts of his wooden body as well. The most shocking thing was the puppet master was alive. At least, she thought he was. His hazel eyes were blinking and still ever droopy. But that wasn't why she felt such relief seeing him, broken yet alive. It was the warmth in his gaze.

And that same crooked grin that made him look far younger and much more boyish.

"Sasori!"

"My doll."

She ignored the term of affection for now and ran towards him, which didn't take long since the room was so small.

"Are you alright?"

It was a rather idiotic thing to ask yet she couldn't help herself, or the joy that bubbled in her chest at the sight of him.

"You worried for me?"

He sounded almost confused, to this she vigorously nodded.

"Of course I did. I had no idea what Itachi…had done to you."

Just saying his name was hard. And a part of her yearned to turn her head and look back into those bottomless, dark eyes. However now they were red. Red as the blood in her veins and the anger she felt.

It wasn't as strong or as potent as before, yet it was still there.

"It's fine angel, he just needs to fix himself up back at the base." Kisame voiced out.

Sakura glanced at him and he gave her a strained smile. She could tell that something was wrong. Something that made the shark like grin on his face less…happy and vibrant. It seemed almost….fake. Like Sai's smiles.

But before she could look further into it and ask him what was wrong, he started talking.

"Hidan, go get blondie."

The silver haired nin grit his teeth, his purplish eyes never leaving the pinkette's form.

"Tch..no way in hell! I'm not going anywhere."

The mist-nin narrowed his eyes at him menacingly.

"Just do it."

"I said no! Why don't you ask the fucking Uchiha to handle it? Seriously?!"

Hidan's hand , the one that wasn't holding parts of Sasori's body, inched towards his blood red scythe.

"Cause' I have to deal with my partner." The larger man spat out the word 'partner' like it was some sort of curse.

Sakura, ever the innocent one and who also wanted to leave the tension filled room, raised her hand.

"I'll go find Dei, you guys….sort out Sasori."

And she did something that was totally and completely impulsive that she would later regret ever doing in front of the other Akatsuki members.

The only female in the room, leaned down and kissed Sasori on the forehead. It was brief and very chaste and she thought it was a sign of friendship. And maybe she was also high on the fact that he was alive and the guilt that weighed down on her chest, making it ache painfully, was instantly gone.

"I'm happy you aren't dead."

Itachi hated the red head more than ever before, a large part of him desperately wanted to call her his again. Yet the Uchiha knew that his declaration would do nothing but anger her, so he bit his tongue so hard that he could taste the metallic tang of blood fill his mouth. Anything to keep him from spouting more words to vex and push away the one person he had come to care for.

Kisame and Hidan watched the blossom leave, different expressions on their faces.

One was of longing and the other was confusion.

And so Sakura left the room in hopes of finding the blonde who had also confessed such intense and deep feelings for her earlier tonight.

Her hands went into her kimono and lifted it up, so that running around would be much easier.

As she ran around the inn and into the streets, her thoughts started to wander.

Had he seen the kiss between her and Itachi?

What would happen to him if he did?

Fear and anxiety started to build up in the pit of her belly.

She had to talk to Deidara, and it was something that she was really afraid to do.

Hidan was so fucking angry that he felt that even curse words didn't have enough vulgarity and rudeness to convey how fucking pissed he was.

No, he wasn't mad at the pinkette.

Well, at first he felt this odd pain in his left chest. Then it spread through out his entire body. But Pleasure didn't accompany this kind of pain. Hell no. This was emotional pain not the physical kind. And by Jashin, it fucking hurt!

As he watched that damn Uchiha plunder her sweet, innocent mouth, he felt something inside him….break.

It was worse than all the wounds he'd ever had in his whole immortal life.

And he couldn't do anything about it.

Sufficed to say, it was not an experience he'd want to repeat.

Soon, the pain fled and anger, pure, white-hot anger replaced it.

He was mad.

At her and him.

That is, until she had pushed him away.

Then he felt something good, so fucking amazing appear in his left chest.

For once in his damned life, he felt hope.

As sappy and retarded that sounded, it was true.

The second she said 'good bye' he knew that he still had a chance to win that bitch's heart.

And so, here they were. Four Akatsuki members stuck in the pathetic piece of crap inn, doing nothing but staring at each other.

Well, until he got tired of it and spoke.

"Oh to hell with it!"

Everyone looked at him immediately, even the brooding Uchiha glanced at his awesome self.

"Listen you fuckers and listen good."

He glared daggers at each and every one of them. Yes, even the wooden toy he held in his hand.

"I don't care if you fucking kissed her you damn Uchiha brat!"

Itachi started to return his glare.

"Ya know why?!"

Hidan didn't give two shits if he was being loud and hysterical.

He was high, high on the feeling called hope.

"Because that bitch…"

He pointed to the door Sakura had just left through.

"…will be mine."

Kisame, Itachi and Sasori exchanged glances. The kind of look that meant they understood each other with out words.

It was the look of fucking determination, the same expression plastered to his own face.

"I sure as hell ain't giving up on her. She's worth all the fucking effort I'm gonna put into making her fall in love with me."

He nodded, his purplish eyes blazing like the fires of hell.

"I won't give up either." Sasori's voice came up, small and calm yet so very sure.

He even had a smile (the hell?!) on his wooden face. It was crooked and tiny, however it was confident.

"Ah geez….what the hell is going on here?"

Kisame murmured to no one in particular while Itachi actually smirked (Holy shit?!) at him.

"This will be interesting."

"Hell yeah it will."

"Be prepared to lose then." The Uchiha muttered darkly, daring him to reply.

And of course, Hidan being Hidan, he did.

"Just watch Uchiha, I'll be the winner of this battle."

He raised a dark eyebrow at the silver haired nin in dark amusement.

"The battle doesn't matter…"

His red eyes glinted maliciously at the three of them.

"…It's the war that counts, and I plan to dominate it."

And with that, he disappeared.

Oh Lord, 40 reviews?! You guys gave me 40 reviews?! I'm so damn happy that I'm literally jumping with joy! Do have any idea how amazing you all are?! And I'm very grateful for those who gave me looooong reviews. Not that I don't like short ones, i just like to read :D And I'm sorry if this chappie is shorter than the rest but I wanted to end it that way. Anyways, a big Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers and readers XD I hope that I'll get even more reviews this time. (not to be greedy or anything) Till' next time! - VZ